Tethered two piece nestable bottle

ABSTRACT

A plastic bottle formed of two tethered parts having relatively large threaded open ends facilitating hand or machine washing of the unthreaded bottle parts thereby facilitating repeated reuse of the bottle. This two part plastic bottle reduces use of materials, such as petroleum used for producing plastic bottles, and reduces land fill. The bottle is suitable for refrigerator storage of various beverages as well as juices and smoothies.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION

Reference is made applicant's U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/957,490 filed Aug. 23, 2007 for a Two Piece Nestable Bottle for which priority is claimed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The popularity of water, tea and the like merchandised in disposable plastic bottles has increased the burden on land fills and the use of petroleum to produce the plastic. Recycling the bottle has minimum effect on consumer cost and many jurisdictions do not require recycling. There exists a need for reusable two piece drinking bottles having upper and lower tethered parts which can be washed either by hand or in an automatic cycling dish washer and reused numerous times.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The two piece nestable bottle of this invention has a lower bottom part in the form of a reservoir, which can optionally be used as a drinking cup, and a removable upper part in threaded engagement with the lower part. The upper part is tethered to the bottom reservoir part by a flexible tie or tether. The upper and lower parts have relatively large diameters at their mating junction thereby facilitating hand and machine washing for reuse of the bottle. The upper part includes a removable threaded cap which may include a sipping nipple. The joined upper and lower parts form a drinking bottle in the manner of the usual beverage bottle. The bottle may be used for water and other beverages and also for so-called blended smoothies. For shipping, storage and retail display purposes, the lower parts nest within one another and the upper parts nest within one another. Nesting the parts saves shipping, storage and display space. The herein disclosed reusable bottle reduces petroleum consumption and land fill. It is an ideal reusable container for a variety of liquids traditionally kept in a refrigerator.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

One embodiment of the nested bottle is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective, with parts broken away for illustration purposes, which shows a plurality of tethered two part bottles stacked for packaging, for display on a retail shelf or for household storage in a kitchen cabinet,

FIG. 2 shows the two parts of the bottle united, and

FIG. 3 shows the two parts of the bottle in vertical section.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated in the accompanying drawings, a two piece plastic nestable bottle has an upper cover part 11 and a lower tumbler part 15. The upper part 11 includes a removable threaded cap 12 with a sipping nipple 13 having a relatively small drinking or sipping orifice 14. The cap 12 has internal threads and is adapted for a liquid tight fit with an externally threaded cylindrical neck or drinking spout 20 of the upper part 11 and the drinking orifice 14 is of a resealable design. The lower tumbler part 15 has a frusto-conical wall 31 extending upwardly at increasing diameter from a flat bottom 32 ending in a radially outward flared top segment 16 including external threads 17. The upper part 11 includes a cylindrically shaped lower end or band 18, axially opposite its neck 20. The band 18 has internal threads 19 for threading with the external threads 17 on the lower part 15. The upper part 11 and the lower part 15 are interconnected by a tether strap 21 integrally connected at one of its ends to the exterior side of an annular radially outward projecting ledge 25 adjacent the upper edge of the band 18 of the upper part 11. The tether strap 21 includes an annular loop 22 which has sufficient resiliency or stretch to fit into a radially outward opening circumferential groove 26 near the top 16 of the lower part 15, as shown in FIG. 3. The lower part 15 has a frusto-conical shape from the bottom 32 to about two thirds its height and has thin walls of substantially uniform thickness.

FIG. 1 shows six bottles with their upper parts 11 stacked and their lower tumbler parts 15 stacked in two side by side stacks. This stackability of components reduces shipping and storage space. Storing the two piece bottle in the nested manner saves one fourth to one third in storage space.

In summary, the herein disclosed nesting bottle is a two part bottle with stackable tethered parts. The top part 11 includes a threaded drinking neck 20 with a cap 12. The cap 12 may include a re-sealable sipping orifice 13. The lower part 15 is a drink reservoir and may serve as a traditional drinking tumbler when the tether 21 of the top part 11 is removed. The threaded fit of the two sections is liquid tight. The large diameter openings of the sections permits efficient cleaning by automatic dish washer or by hand. Reusuability of the bottles reduces consumer cost and also reduces landfill and use of natural resources. Many households are using household water filters and the herein disclosed reusable bottle is ideal for refrigerator storage of such filtered water in lieu of the more expensive purchase of bottled water. The two part beverage or water bottle is preferably made of high grade plastic so that the bottles are machine washable and capable of multiple refills and cleaning. 

1. A reusable bottle, comprising: a lower tumbler part having a substantially flat bottom and a frusto-conical wall extending upwardly at increasing diameter from said bottom to a radially outward flared upper end with a radially outward opening circumferential groove and terminating in an upper cylindrical end concentric with said frusto-conical wall and having external threads and an upper cover part having a narrow annular drinking neck extending upwardly at its upper end and a cylindrical band at its lower end concentric with said annular neck including internal threads adapted for threaded engagement with said external threads on said lower part and a tether having an end rigidly secured to said lower end of said upper cover part and a resilient loop adapted for stretch fit in said circumferential groove.
 2. The reusable bottle of claim 1 wherein said lower parts are stackable within one another and said upper parts are stackable within one another with said parts tethered.
 3. The reusable bottle of claim 2 wherein said drinking neck is externally threaded and a cap with internal threads is in threaded engagement with said neck.
 4. The reusable bottle of claim 4 wherein said cap includes a resealable sipping opening. 